Broken Record – Broken Promises

March 27, 2019

Remember to look in local weekly newspapers across Battle River – Crowfoot for my Parliamentary Report.

If I sound like a broken record, it is because what I am going to talk about deserves to be repeated. The Liberal government has broken promise after promise and it is extremely important that they are held accountable for leading Canadians down the garden path especially when it comes to the deficit and balanced budgets.

As they promised in the 2015 election, Federal Budget 2019 was supposed to be the year the Liberals eliminated the deficit and balanced the budget. That promise, as so many others, is in tatters. The deficit for this fiscal year is projected to be $19.8 billion. A debt of $705.4 billion is the direct result of three years in a row of Liberal deficits being added to the debt. Shockingly, our debt is predicted to rise to $761 billion in 2024. Comparatively, in our last year in government, we had a surplus the Liberals inherited but squandered away.

Federal Budget 2019 is nothing more than a sprinkling of billions of taxpayers’ dollars to distract Canadians and to dig us deeper into debt. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is desperate to change the channel on the SNC-Lavalin Affair and the departure of another high- level official – making the total now four: two high ranking Cabinet Ministers have quit; the Prime Minister’s right-hand man and best friend has quit; and the Clerk of the Privy Council has quit. These resignations were the direct result of the Prime Minister’s office interfering in the criminal prosecution of a Liberal-connected firm.

All the goodies that are offered in the Budget will not deflect attention from this scandal. All it will do is result in tax hikes but of course, not until after the Fall election, if the Liberals are re-elected. This Budget should have offered tax relief for middle income Canadians and the business sector, especially for those companies who must compete with US companies who have a more tax competitive field. What this Budget should have been about was your future and that of your children and grandchildren.

In the last few weeks, we’ve received numerous phone calls, emails and letters from constituents who are extremely worried about the state of the country’s finances and even more so about their own financial situation. The fact that the new carbon tax comes into effect on April 1st, is giving them added reason for concern. New and rising taxes, increased housing prices, job losses and/or stagnant incomes as well as growing costs for household expenditures on electricity, cable, property taxes, heating and groceries have caused the average Canadian debt balance to increase by 3.3 percent this year. This load is causing insurmountable stress as more and more Canadians are at real risk of financial ruin. I have heard from many constituents who are having to choose between paying their utility bill and buying groceries; a choice no one should have to make.

This Budget should have been about making life more affordable for Canadians, including those who dream of one day owning their home. Under the Liberal government 80% of middle-income Canadians are paying higher taxes. The Budget should have outlined a plan to ensure the long-term competitiveness of our economy. It should have provided a strategy to effectively deal with our stagnant productivity growth as we are now coming perilously close to recession and our dollar is predicted to slide to .62 cents US. Given the Liberal government’s propensity to spend your tax dollars since elected in 2015, they are ill-prepared to weather any downturn in the economy let alone a recession.

I sincerely hope that after the October 2019 election we can chart a new long-term course for Canada – a course that respects taxpayers dollars rather than abuse them. We need to be on a path to prosperity for the country and all our citizens.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this or previous columns you may write me at 4945-50th Street, Camrose, Alberta, T4V 1P9, call 780-608-4600, toll-free 1-800-665-4358, fax 780-608-4603 or e-mail Kevin.Sorenson.c1@parl.gc.ca.

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